baustert



y 1953 G. N. BAUSTERT 3,097,553

FAST ACTION TOGGLE HAND CLAMP Filed Aug. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6INVENTOR.

F. g 1 7 BY Gecv e' N. 5 05767? Kara/ July 16, 1963 N. BAUSTERT FASTACTION TOGGLE HAND CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1961 INVENTOR.@ewgs N. Ems BET BY W United States atent Ofiice 3,097,553 FAST ACTIONTQGQLE HAND C1AMP George N. Baustert, Dearhorn, Mich, assignor to {heFord Motor Company, Dearhorn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware FiledAug. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 130,384 1 Claim. (til. 81- 351) This inventionrelates to a quick action hand toggle clamp, and more particularly to animproved form of toggle clamp.

Heretofore in toggle clamp constructions, the relative pivotalconnections between the clamp arms, the pivotal connections between thehandles, the pivotal connections respectively of the handles with eachof the said clamp arms was such that for maximum clamp arm openingmovements, there was a corresponding maximum handle opening movement.

It is the object of the present invention to so form the clamp arms andso arrange the pivotal connections there- .between, as well as thepivotal connections between the handles and the said clamp arms, thatpositive locking action is provided, but at the same time a maximum armopening movement is achieved with a minimum handle opening movement.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide inconjunction with a hand toggle clamp a maximum arm movement of 90degrees with a corresponding maximum handle opening movement of 120degrees.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a toggleclamp a maximum arm opening move ment, which is substantially greaterthan arm opening movements on conventional hand clamps, but wherein thehandle opening movement is the same, or less, than the handle openingmovement on conventional clamps.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claim in conjunction with the ap pended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the present quick action handtoggle clamp in positive locking position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing maximum arm opening movement withcorresponding handle opening movement.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and showing an intermediaterelative arm opening movement and a corresponding relative handleopening movement.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view in locking position of a right angletype of toggle clamp with its release position shown in dotted lines.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely apreferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments arecontemplated within the scone of the claims herein set forth.

lefening to the drawings, and particularly, FIGS. 1 through 4, thepresent versatile quicloaction hand toggle clamp, generally speaking,comprises a pair of opposed elongated clamp arms 11 and 19, which arepivotally interconnected at their one ends by the rivet 28. There areprovided also a pair of opposed elongated handles 36, which arepivotally interconnected by the rivet 33, and with each handlerespectively connected to one of the clamp arms 11 and 19 respectivelyby the additional r-Iets 34, as best shown in FIG. 1.

This much of the description corresponds to a convent onal toggle clamp.

The invention in the present construction is directed to the oft-centerlocation of the pivotal connection 28, between the respective one endsof the clamp arms 11 and 19. By this construction, as will be hereaftershown for a maximum relative arm opening movement of 90-degrees as shownin FIG. 2, there is a minimum relative handle opening movement ofdegrees.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 4, clamparm 11, which may be referred to as the action arm has a boss 12 at itsfree ends terminating in the anvil surface 13, and at its opposite endterminates in the laterally displaced base 14, whose end is curved as at15, extending downwardly and again curved upwardly as at 16, FIG. 1.

A pair of apertures 17 and 18 are formed through the base 14.

A second clamp arm 19, referred to as a base arm includes at one end theboss 20 in opposing registry with boss 12, which has an interiorlythreaded bore 21 to adjustably receive the bolt 22, Whose head 23 isadapted for cooperative registry with the anvil surface 13, with a formof work normally interposed therebetween, there being a suitable locknut 24 employed.

In the normal operation of the toggle clamp, if a workpiece, orworkpieces to be clamped between the jaw elements 13 and 23 are of anappreciable width, then in that case, the bolt 22 would be threadeddownwardly inasmuch as the parts as shown in FIG. 1 are in fully lockedposition.

For the purpose of this description, the base 14, to the extent that itprojects inwardly at one end, may be regarded as a short boss. Aninwardly directed long boss 25, as compared with boss 14, is provided atthe inner end of the clamp arm 19, being ofiset with respect to thelongitudinal axis of said arm, and arranged in overlapping registry withthe short boss 14, and pivotally connected thereto as by the rivet 28.

The offset portion of the long boss 25 is indicated by the dotted lines26, said long boss adjacent its opposite ends having a pair of apertures18 and 27 therethrough, apertures 18 in the said bosses 14 and 25receiving the rivet 28 providing the pivotal connection between therespective one ends of the clamp arms 11 and 19.

The stop 29 projects rearwardly from the rear edge portion of the longboss 25 for limiting pivotal opening movements of the handles 34), asshown in FIG. 2, where it is seen that one of the handles 30 at itspivotal connection with the clamp arm 11 operatively engages the boss orstop 29 at a point which is past dead center with respect to a linebetween the pivotal connection between the clamp arms and the pivotalconnection between the respective handles 30.

The pair of elongated opposed handles 30, each have laterally displacedoppositely arranged inwardly directed end portions 31 which areoverlapped and pivotally interconnected by the rivet 33, the saidotfsets on the end portions of said handles being indicated by thedotted lines at 32 to facilitate the type of assembly shown in FIG. 3with the parts in compact relationship.

Each of the said handles 30 at its said one ends adjacent, but spacedfrom their pivotal connection 33, is pivot-ally connected respectivelyto the one end portions of the clamp arms 11 and 19 by a rivet 34 tocomplete the normal clamp assembly.

The important factor, in distinguishing applicants structure from priorart structures, is that there is provided a non-symmetrical pivotalconnection between the respective clamp arms. This is accomplished bythe short boss 14, and the long boss 25, which respectively projectinwardly from the clamp arms 11 and 19 and in oven lapped relation arepivotally connected as by the rivet 28.

For this purpose, it is noted that the rivet 28 or pivotal connection islaterally displaced with respect to the longitudinal center line betweenthe pivotal connection 33 between the handles 30. It is thisrelationship of the pivotal connection 28 between the said. clamp arm-s11 and 19, and with respect to the other pivotal connections, whichprovides for the maximum 90-degree opening movement between the clamparms 11 and 19, shown in FIG. 2, and with a corresponding minimum handleopening movement of 120 degrees shown in FIG. 2, which would nototherwise be possible, if a symmetrical mounting was employed betweenthe clamp arms 11 and 19.

The pair of opposed cam surfaces, or projections 35 extend inwardly fromadjacent the pivotal ends of handles 30 in a normally arranged spacedrelation, as shown in FIG. 1.

An elongated trigger lever is normally interposed between the handles 30longitudinally thereof, and over one end is secured at 38, a stirrup orlooped portion 37 which provides the pivotal mounting for the saidtrigger lever upon the bight portion 39 of the U-shaped pivot wire 40,whose respective ends have eyes 41 for mounting upon opposite sides ofthe rivet 33, which pivotally interconnects the handles 30.

When the toggle clamp is in the locked position shown in FIG. 1, it isfrequently difiicult to release the clamp arms 11 and 19 merely by anoutward releasing movement applied to the respective handles 30. Forthis purpose, the trigger arm is employed which by pulling the triggerlever 36 in one direction relative to one of the handles 3%, it camsagainst the corresponding cam projections 35 of the said handles 30 forforcing the handles apart to facilitate opening movement of the clamparms 11 and 19.

Actually what is accomplished is that the pivotal connection 33, whichin the locked position is past dead center with respect to pivotalconnections 34, is forced past dead center to the right side, FIG. 1,with respect to the pivotal connections 34, thus facilitating furtheropening movements of the handles 30 and corresponding opening movementsof the clamp arms 11 and 19.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 4,actually neither of the clamp arms 11 and 19 stay stationary. However,for purpose of illustration, and to show the relative movement betweenthe two clamp arms 11 and 19, the arm 19 is shown in a stationaryposition with all movement being designated as a relative movementbetween the two arms, as shown in FIGS, 2 and 4.

In FIG. 2, the relative opening movement between the arms 11 and 19 isat a maximum of 90-degrees, and at the same time, the maximum openingmovement of the handles in an amount of 120 degrees therebetween isshown. For intermediate relative opening movement between the clamp armsof 45-degrees as shown in FIG. 4, the said handles are open an angularextent therebetween of 81% degrees, which is considerably less than theangular handle opening movement of other types of toggle clamps.

Normally, as shown in the table set out hereunder, for 45 degree openingof the clamp arms in conventional types of toggle clamps, there wouldnecessarily be a handle opening movement of 114 /2 degrees. This isactually as far open as conventional hand clamps open, i.e., to say witha maximum arm opening movement of 45-degrees the handle opening movementis 114 /2 degrees.

In the present construction, the maximum relative clamp arm movement ofQO-degrees is achieved, and wherein the total relative handle openingmovement does not exceed 120 degrees. Accordingly, it can be seen fromthe table attached hereunder that the offset pivotal connection providedat 28 between the respective clamp arms 11 and 19, and the associatedstructure including the long and short bosses above described providesfor such maximum relative clamp arm opening movement with correspondingreduced handle o ening movements.

Operzing Ratio Comparison Chart Quick Action Hand Olamp Hand Clamp ArmOpening Both Handles Both Handles In Degrees Opening In Opening InDegrees Degrees A slightly different construction is shown in FIG. 5,being the right angle toggle clamp construction which differs slightlyfrom the toggle clamp above described, primarily in the formation of thetwo clamp arms. The construction otherwise in exactly the same andtherefore its description is not repeated in detail.

Referring however, to FIG. 5, the toggle clamp includes the base 4 2,which extends forwardly and terminates in the right angularly extendingclamp arm 43 with a boss 44 at its end, which has an interiorly threadedbore to adjustably receive the bolt or stud 45, whose head 46 providesan adjustable pressure means, and which bolt is secured in the desiredadjusted position by the lock nut 47.

Secondary clamping portion of this toggle clamp is in the nature of astub base arm 48, having along one upright edge an anvil surface 49which extends at right angles to the axis of the pressure means 46 forregistering therewith, and which at its one end is laterally displacedand overlaps and is p-ivotal-ly connected to the laterally displaced oroiiset portion of the base 42, and pivotally connected therewith as bythe rivet 50'.

A stop or boss 51 projects rearwardly from the opposing edge of the stubbase arm 48, is adapted for cooperative registry with a portion of oneof the handles 30 at its pivotal connection 34 with respect to the clamparm base 42 when the two handles 30 have been opened to maximum openingposition, as indicated in dotted lines, as being at an angle of degrees.

The relative opening position of the clamp arm 42-43 is also shown indotted lines as being a 90-degree opening movement with respect to anvilsurface 49.

The trigger lever 36 and its pivotal mounting at one end to the pivotalconnection 33 between the handles, is the same as above described andits cooperation with the cam surfaces 35 forming a part of the handles30 is the same. Here also, as above described with respect to FIG. 1,the pivotal connection or rivet 50 between the respective clampingelements 42 and 48, substantially 01f center with respect to thelongitudinal axis through the pivot 33 which interconnects the one endsof the handles 30.

It is this oii'set pivotal relationship between the clamp ing membersrelative to the pivotal connection between the handles which providesfor the maximum relative clamp arm opening movement with a minimumhandle opening movement, as above described.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claim.

I claim:

In a hand toggle clamp comprising a pair of substan tially identical,generally L-shaped handles, a swinging clamp arm and a relativelynon-swinging anvil arm, the clamp having a center axis, a forwardclamping end and a rear, handle end; the two handles being arranged onopposite sides of said center axis with their short legs extendingtransversely to and overlapping and being pivotally interconnected atsaid center axis and their long legs normally extending rearwardly,alongside the center axis; with the two arms each being arranged onopposite sides of said axis and each having a base portion extendingtransversely relative to the center axis towards the other base portion;each base portion having an outer end an inner end, with the outer endof each base portion being pivotally connected to its respectiveadjacent handle at the juncture between the long and short legs of therespective handle; the two base portion-handle pivots beingequidistantly spaced from the center axis and being normally aligned onan axis which is penpendicular to the center axis and which isapproximately coaxial with the pivotal interconnection between the twohandles; the clamp arm having a clamping portion, formed integral withits base portion, arranged to clamp against an anvil portion formedintegral with the anvil arm base portion;

the improvement comprising the anvil arm base portion being considerablylonger than the clamp arm base portion and crossing the center axis andwith its inner end overlapping the inner end of the clamp arm baseportion and being pivotally connected thereto at a point spaced,relative to the center axis, approximately midway between the hand-1epivotal interconnection and the handle-clamp arm base portion pivotalcon- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,736,221 Von Seggern Feb. 28, 1956 2,783,797 Blatt et al Mar. 5, 19572,937,677 Mcllwain May 24, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 947,150 Ger-many Aug. 9,1956 OTHER REFERENCES Amenioan Machinist, Oct. 15, 1942.

